Want to know more about the moors? There's an app for that!

Some fantastic walks can be enjoyed on Britain's moorlands, but it often proves tricky to identify some of the wildlife that you see up there while out and about in the fresh air.

Now, novice birdwatchers or animal lovers could have a helping hand if they download one of four free apps designed to ensure visitors get maximum enjoyment from their days out in the Peak District and other locations.

The Moors for the Future Partnership MoorLIFE project is behind the pieces of software, which are called MoorMOSS, MoorPLANTS, MoorSIGHTS and MoorWILD and can be downloaded here.

They're suitable for iPhone and Android handsets and can even be obtained as a printable pdf for people who prefer to have paper sheets to refer to alongside their OS maps and other equipment.

MoorMOSS provides descriptions of the moss, lichen and liverwort you are most likely to see on your walks, while MoorPLANTS is a guide to ferns, flowering herbs, shrubs, trees and grasses, and includes photographs.

You can learn more about the landscape features you might encounter via MoorSIGHTS and MoorWILD focuses on the birds, insects, mammals and reptiles that live in this type of habitat.

Helpfully, all will work without a phone signal once downloaded, which will be handy for locations off the beaten track.

MoorLIFE project manager Laura King said: "We've completed conservation works to protect 2,500 hectares of moorland, that will increase the numbers of plants and sphagnum mosses that you'll be able to spot out on the moors. And we hope that you'll have more chances to see more wildlife as our works improve these vital habitats."

All of the apps have been designed with the Peak District National Park and South Pennine moors in mind, but the information contained within them can be used across any UK moorlands.

There are 860,000 acres of heather moorland in England and Wales and they are home to bird species including the Golden Plover, Lapwing, Red Grouse, Merlin, Short-eared Owl and Hen Harrier.